Improvement in wooden keys for securing railway-rails



J. SAMPLE,-J. GRANTHAM, W. M. WARD.

-& M. WADDLE. Wooden Key for Securing Railway Rails. No. 201,839.Patented Marchf2fg l8'l8.

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#9 zwezcfql UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

JAMES SAMPLE, JOHN GRANTHAM, AND WILLIAM M. WARD, OF BLYTH, AND MATTHEWWADDLE, OF NEWSHAM, NEAR BLYTH, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN WOODEN KEYS FOR SECURING RAILWAY-RAILS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,839, dated March26, 1878; application filed December 19, 1877; patented in England,March 4, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMIES SAMPLE, JonN of Blyth, and MATTHEW WADDLE,of N ewsham, near Blyth, in the county of Northumberland, England, haveinvented certain Improvements in Wooden Railway-Keys for Fastening Railsin Railway-Chairs, of which the \following is a specification:

The invention is for the same subject-matter as is embraced in EnglishLetters Patent dated March 4, 1876, sealed August 1, 1876, No. 936,granted to the aforesaid James Sample, John Grantham, and MatthewWaddle.

The object of our inventionis to prevent the wooden keys or Wedges usedto secure rails to railway-chairs becoming loose, which is often thecase during a hot dry season, thereby endangering the stability andsafety of the railway-track.

To gain the desired end we make the keys somewhat larger or thicker thanusual, and to get the required taper, in order to insert the key orwedge between the rail and the outer jaw of the chair, we cut from outthe -tail end of the key or keys a wedge-shaped piece, the apex or pointof the gap being toward the head of the key. Consequently, when the keyis inserted in its place and driven up tight, the elasticity of thetines or prongs of the key keeps it in its place, and compensates forany shrinkage that may occur from the heat and dryness of theatmosphere.

We will now proceed to describe our invention more fully by the aid ofthe accompanying drawing, reference being had to the letters and figuresmarked thereon.

Figure 1 is a plan of our improved key in one of its simplest forms, andFig. 2 an end View of the same at A. Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications ofthe same key to meet various contingencies.

In all these figures, Ais the tail, and B the head, of the wedge or key.0 is the gap cut out to form the two tines or prongs D D". The prong Dis straight, and, when in position, lies close alongside the web of therail, steadying the same against the inner jaw of the chair.

When the key is driven home into the chair the prong .D projects beyondthe chair, as is usually the case, and performs a double duty. In thefirst place the natural elasticity of the material of which the key ismade exerts a pressure against the outer jaw of the chair, and keeps thekey tight against the web of the rail, even in the dryest season, thegap O varying in closeness as the dryness or humidity of the atmosphereshrinks or swells the key. In the second place the broad partd' of thekey, presenting itself to the hind face of the chair, not only offers animpediment to any tendency to withdraw that is likely to arise from thevibration of passing trains, but conduces to the tightening up of thekey.

We would remark that the "gap 0, Fig. 1, may have the saw-cut whichforms the straight prong continued a short distance into the body of thekey, as shown at e, and would add that the distance marked g should notexceed the dimension of the key at h.

As before stated, Figs. 3 and fare modifications of our improved key. InFig. 3 the prong D has the inner line a curved, and e is a hole boredthrough the key before the gap is out out. In Fig. 4 is shown a largercircular hole, f, likewise bored out before the gap is out. When thiskey is driven home a conical or taper pin or bolt is driven in the hole,and secured by any suitable means. The increasing diameter of the headof the pin or bolt further expands the prongs and increases the securityof the rail.

7 Having now described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- .1. A wooden railway-key provided with the asour invention we hereunto subscribe our V-shaped slot, substantially asand for the names in the presence of the two subscribing purposedescribed. witnesses.

2. A wooden railway-key having one of its JAMES SAMPLE sides straightand one curved, substantially JOHN GRANTHALL as and for the purposedescribed.

3. A wooden railway-key having one of its sides straight and one curved,provided with Witnesses:

the V-shaped slot, substantially as and for the J OHN BELL, Ship Owner.

purpose described.

In witness that the above is what we claim JOHN H. SGRIVENER, MasterMariner.

